Understanding tooth cavities: Your teeth’s worst enemy

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Understanding tooth cavities: Your teeth’s worst enemy

When we were kids, we’d all been reminded that we shouldn’t have too many sweets, because they are really bad for our teeth. How exactly are they bad for our teeth anyway?

Of course, we’ve learned all about tooth cavities since then. They are permanent damages on the surface of your teeth that can be the result of poor oral hygiene. There are three types of cavities, which depends on where the cavity occurs on your tooth: root decay (which occurs on the root surface of your tooth) , smooth surface decay (where the decay happens on the smooth side of your tooth) , and pit and fissure decay (which occurs on the biting surface of your tooth). Over time, these holes in your teeth will get deeper and wider. If left untreated, your whole tooth may have irreversible damages.

Not to worry as tooth cavities can still be prevented if we take steps to take care of our teeth!

What causes tooth cavities?

To understand how a cavity in a tooth is formed, it’s important to know that the first stage of tooth cavities is the formation of plaque. Plaques are bacteria layers that form on your teeth. Their acidic nature can erode your enamel and causes bacteria to attack the next layer. Over time, tooth cavities will form, and they can have permanent damages.

Here are some common causes of plaques and cavities:

Sugary food and drinks

Sugar is the number one culprit of plaque formation! When you consume a large amount of sugar and do not brush properly afterwards, plaques will begin to form.

Food trapped between your teeth

Leftover food bits in your mouth make the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If they’re left overnight, you’ll almost certainly wake up with bad breath and plaques.

Neglecting to brush your teeth

Ever felt so tired that you decided to skip brushing your teeth and head straight to bed? We’ve all been there, but it’s the most harmful thing you can do to your oral hygiene. Brushing helps to remove food and bacteria from and between your teeth.

Lack of flossing

Always floss! It’s a great way to help you remove any trapped food that your toothbrush fails to reach.

What are the signs of a cavity?

Cavities can be very hard to spot. Be sure you’re on the lookout for the following:

1. Toothache

2. Tooth sensitivity and experiencing mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold

3. Visible holes or pits in your teeth

4. Brown, black, or white stains on any surface of a tooth

5. Pain whenever you bite down

If you notice any of these signs, be sure to make an appointment with your dentist. Once cavities start, they need to be treated with professional care.

How can I prevent tooth cavities?

If you want to prevent cavities, you should brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. You need it to kill the harmful bacteria on your teeth. Try out a few of our recommendations for effective cavity prevention!

Darlie Double Action Mint Toothpaste

It’s a series of toothpastes that address all your oral health concerns! Darlie Double Action Toothpaste is formulated with the dual spearmint and peppermint formula that provides an instant cooling and refreshing sensation as you brush. It also contains fluoride to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities.

As one of the Double Action toothpastes, the Darlie MultiCare Toothpaste has a multi-benefit formula that helps to reduce dental plaque, maintains gum health, reduce oral bacteria, prevent cavities, cleanses teeth, strengthening and whitens teeth.

The Darlie Enamel Protect Strong Mint Toothpaste features a strong mint variant that focuses on strengthening your enamel and offering full oral care protection.

However, simply using a fluoride toothpaste is not enough to maintain your oral health! You’ll need to brush with a well-designed toothbrush that can reach the small gaps between your teeth and along the gum lines. We have just the slim-tipped bristle toothbrush to do the job: the Darlie Volcanic Charcoal Toothbrush . This toothbrush is built with core-in-core dual-layered bristles that are ultra-flexible for deep cleaning between narrow teeth gaps and along gum lines, removing plaque and any remaining food residues effectively.

After brushing, remember to rinse with mouthwash to ensure most of the remaining harmful bacteria are removed. Our Darlie Double Mint Mouthwash will help you with this.

Don’t neglect your other oral hygiene habits either. We all enjoy a delicious snack from time to time, but we should snack less frequently to maintain a healthy balance of pH in the mouth. You’ll also need your regular dental check-ups to spot any early cavities and nip it in the bud!

Start taking extra care of those pearly whites today, so that you can always show them off with your most confident smile!